Game production lives and dies on planning—but most teams are still building like it’s 2010.

In this episode, Ben is joined by Jeanne-Marie Owens and Jesse Houston of Critical Path to reveal better ways a studio can function based on decades of experience. From the myth of the “critical path” to the illusion that things will magically come together in the final stretch, they explain why “figure it out later” kills projects, how lack of real commitment cripples teams, and what it actually takes to build a dependable studio culture. Hint: It’s not a short list of “values.”

This is a wake-up call for any studio still relying on outdated ideas about how work gets done, and a practical guide to doing better.

🔍 You’ll Hear:
- Why “fix it later” is the most expensive lie in game development
- What the critical path really means—and how most studios misuse it
- Why real planning requires saying no
- The deadly effect of partial commitment on team morale and outcomes
- Why you have to be willing to make choices that limit your own options
- How senior leaders create or destroy the culture by what they tolerate

If you’re a studio leader, producer, or creative tired of chaos and ready to build games with clarity, intention, and momentum, check it out!

Connect with Critical Path Games:
Critical Path Games – https://critpath.com/

🎮 Join the Building Better Games Community:
- BBG Discord – Connect with devs, producers, and leaders building better studios:
https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
- Level Up Your Production Skills – Take our flagship course:
https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
- Get Leadership Insights Weekly – Subscribe to the BBG newsletter:
https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

🌐 Connect with Us:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich
Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbg.valarininc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildingBetterGames

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on game dev leadership, production, and culture.

#GameProduction #GameLeadership #CriticalPath #StudioCulture #BuildingBetterGames

Hiring only senior engineers might feel like a smart move, but is it breaking game development?

In this episode, Ben sits down with Carly Taylor (an engineer and data scientist formerly on Call of Duty, now at Databricks) to tackle one of the most pressing and misunderstood issues in game development today: the crumbling pipeline of engineering talent.

They dive deep into the tragedy of the commons happening across studios, where short-term thinking and overreliance on senior talent are putting the future of game engineering at risk. Carly sheds light on the danger of under-investing in junior talent, the mentorship void left behind by remote work, and the role AI is really playing (hint: it's not what vendors are promising).

Whether you're leading a studio, managing engineers, or trying to break into games yourself, this episode is a wake-up call.

You’ll Hear:
-Why the next generation of engineers is not being mentored
-How studios are draining the senior talent pool
-The real technical challenges of using AI in games
-Why hiring only senior devs doesn’t produce better games
-What juniors bring to the table (and why companies should listen)
-How remote work disrupted knowledge transfer and how to rebuild it
-Why game dev is still one of the most passionate industries in tech

Connect with Carly Taylor:
- Website: https://www.rebeldatascience.com/
- Substack: https://carlytaylor.substack.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-taylor
- Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/dataaisummit/speaker/carly-taylor

Join the Building Better Games Community:
- BBG Discord: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
- Level Up Your Production Skills: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
- Subscribe to the BBG newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich
- Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbg.valarininc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildingBetterGames

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on game dev leadership, production, and culture.

Building a game is hard. Leading the team to do it well without losing yourself along the way? That’s even harder.

In this episode, Ben sits down with Melissa Phillips, founder of Games Leadership and a former Head of Studio, to talk about the messy, emotional, and deeply human side of game leadership. From BAFTA boardrooms to indie trenches, Melissa brings a rare blend of psychological insight and real-world experience to one of the most overlooked conversations in game development: what happens when power, pressure, and people collide.

They dig into what founders get wrong, why doing “everything right” can still lead to failure, and how today’s leaders can navigate burnout, broken systems, and the crushing uncertainty of building something new.

You’ll hear:

• Why leadership in games is different and often lonely
• The hidden cost of scaling a team too fast
• How power changes you (whether you like it or not)
• What founders need before they build the next big thing
• Why we need to talk about failure and what it teaches us
• What it really means to lead with resilience in an industry built on chaos
  
  

If you’re a founder, leader, or future studio builder, this one’s for you.

Connect with Melissa & Games Leadership:

🌐 gamesleadership.com
🔗 LinkedIn – Melissa Phillips
🎓 Explore the Games Leadership Blueprint – 12-week leadership program

Looking to grow as a developer, producer, or studio leader? We've got you covered.

✅ Join the BBG Discord
Connect with a community of developers, producers, and industry leaders working to build healthier studios and stronger games.
🔗 https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

✅ Level Up Your Production Skills
Explore our flagship online course, Succeeding in Game Production, and become the producer your team needs.
🔗 https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

✅ Get Insights in Your Inbox
Subscribe to our newsletter for fresh, actionable leadership and production content delivered straight to you.
🔗 https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us:

• LinkedIn: Building Better Games
• Twitter: @BBG_Podcast
• Instagram: @buildingbettergames
• Website: buildingbettergames.com
• YouTube: Building Better Games

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on building better studios, better games, and better leadership in the game industry.

#GameLeadership #IndieGameDev #StudioCulture #GamesIndustryInsights #LeadershipInGames